DESCRIPTION OF THE LEAVES. 23 



the species of the plant. They have various forms, ovate, 

 lanceolate, and pointed. Leaves of a lanceolate form are the 

 largest, and the shape of those found on most varieties of the 

 American plant. The color of the leaves when growing, as 

 well as after curing and sweating, varies, and is frequently 

 caused by the condition of the soil. The color while grow- 

 ing may be either a light or dark green, which changes to a 

 yellowish cast as the plant matures and ripens. The ground 

 leaves are of a lighter color and ripen earlier than the rest 

 sometimes turning yellow, and during damp weather rotting 

 and dropping from the stalk. Some varieties of the plant, 

 like Latakia, bear small but thick leaves, which after cutting 

 are very thin and fine in texture ; while others, like Connecti- 

 cut seed leaf and Havana, bear leaves of a medium thickness, 

 which are also fine and silky after curing. But while the 

 color of the plant when growing is either a light or dark 

 green, it rapidly changes during curing, and especially after 

 passing through the sweat, changing to a light or dark cinna- 

 mon like Connecticut seed leaf, black like Holland and 

 Perique tobacco, bright yellow of the finest shade of Virginia 

 and Carolina leaf, brown like Sumatra, or dark red like that 

 known by the name of " Boshibaghli," grown in Asia Minor. 

 The leaves are covered with glandular hairs containing a 

 glutinous substance of an unpleasant odor, which characterizes 

 all varieties as well as nearly all parts of the plant. 



The leaves of all varieties of tobacco grow the entire 

 length of the stern and clasp the stalk, excepting those of 

 Syrian, which are attached by a long stem. The size of the 

 leaves, as well as the entire plant, is now much larger than 

 when first discovered. One of the early voyagers describes 

 the plant as short and bearing leaves of about the size and 

 shape of the walnut". In many varieties the leaves grow in a 

 semi-circular form while in others they grow almost straight 

 and still others growing erect presenting a singular appear- 

 ance. The stem or rnid-rib running through the leaf is large 

 and fibrous and its numerous smaller veins proportionally 

 larger which on curing become smaller and particularly in 



